A man deliberately started a fire at the New York state supreme court building where Donald Trump’s civil trial is currently being heard, resulting in minor injuries for 17 people, according to FDNY officials.
A court spokesperson said the man set fire to court papers at about 4.15pm on the fourth floor of the building, located at 60 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, then he used a fire extinguisher to douse it.
An office of court administration spokesperson, Al Baker, said in a statement that the fire department responded and three floors of the courthouse were evacuated. There were no serious injuries reported and the unidentified man was arrested, Baker said.
FDNY officials said 17 people suffered minor injuries, believed to be caused by irritant exposure from the use of the fire extinguisher. Two people, a sergeant and a court officer, were taken to a local hospital, according to ABC7 New York. Most of the injured were court officers.
The incident came hours after the conclusion of testimony in the former US president’s civil fraud case on the building’s third floor. Closing arguments in the case are set to begin next month. There was no indication so far that the fire was related to the Trump trial.
The judge presiding over the case, Arthur Engoron, was among those evacuated; they were permitted to return shortly after the incident. Trump was not in the building.
